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This study developed a fully waste-based stabilized aggregate for road bases. A high-performance alkali-activated binder was synthesized from coal gangue and slag, then blended with tunnel-excavated spoil. Performance was compared to cement-stabilized spoil. The optimal mix had a slag-to-gangue ratio of 1:1, a sodium-silicate modulus of 0.8, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 0.38, and 14% alkali-activator content. Under this design, the binder reached 28-day compressive and flexural strengths of 46.2 MPa and 6.9 MPa, respectively. When used for spoil stabilization, the AA-GS system showed early-age strength benefits. UCS values reached 8–9 MPa across subbase dosages. Compared to cement-stabilized spoil, the AA-GS material reduced 90-day drying-shrinkage strain by 57.6%, water-loss rate by 23.4%, and shrinkage coefficient by 27.7%. The 28-day water-stability coefficient was no less than 0.876, and the freeze-thaw durability index remained at or above 0.80. These results demonstrate the AA-GS system offers strong mechanical performance and durability while enabling full reuse of tunnel spoil, coal gangue, and slag. The system was also designed with field applicability in mind, ensuring scalability and enabling real-world reuse of waste materials with tangible carbon reduction benefits.

Abstract Vast efforts have been devoted to the development of antifungal drugs targeting the cell wall, but the supramolecular architecture of this carbohydrate-rich composite remains insufficiently understood. Here we compare the cell wall structure of a fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus and four mutants depleted of major structural polysaccharides. High-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy of intact cells reveals a rigid core formed by chitin, β-1,3-glucan, and α-1,3-glucan, with galactosaminogalactan and galactomannan present in the mobile phase. Gene deletion reshuffles the composition and spatial organization of polysaccharides, with significant changes in their dynamics and water accessibility. The distribution of α-1,3-glucan in chemically isolated and dynamically distinct domains supports its functional diversity. Identification of valines in the alkali-insoluble carbohydrate core suggests a putative function in stabilizing macromolecular complexes. We propose a revised model of cell wall architecture which will improve our understanding of the structural response of fungal pathogens to stresses.

Hydration is one of the most significant issues for combat sports as athletes often use water restriction for quick weight loss before competition. It appears that alkaline water can be an effective alternative to sodium bicarbonate in preventing the effects of exercise-induced metabolic acidosis. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate, in a double blind, placebo controlled randomized study, the impact of mineral-based highly alkaline water on acid-base balance, hydration status, and anaerobic capacity. Sixteen well trained combat sport athletes (n = 16), were randomly divided into two groups; the experimental group (EG; n = 8), which ingested highly alkaline water for three weeks, and the control group (CG; n = 8), which received regular table water. Anaerobic performance was evaluated by two double 30 s Wingate tests for lower and upper limbs, respectively, with a passive rest interval of 3 minutes between the bouts of exercise. Fingertip capillary blood samples for the assessment of lactate concentration were drawn at rest and during the 3rd min of recovery. In addition, acid-base equilibrium and electrolyte status were evaluated. Urine samples were evaluated for specific gravity and pH. The results indicate that drinking alkalized water enhances hydration, improves acid-base balance and anaerobic exercise performance.

Three polyoxygenated bipyrrole alkaloids were isolated from the aerial of Speranskia tuberculata, including two new compounds, speranberculatines B (1) and C (2), along with a known compound, speranskatin A (3). Their structures were identified via NMR-spectroscopic and MS analyses. None of them showed activity in inhibiting the production of NO in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells.

Background It is well known that salinization (high-pH) has been considered as a major environmental threat to agricultural systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between salt stress and alkali stress in metabolic profiles and nutrient accumulation of wheat; these parameters were also evaluated to determine the physiological adaptive mechanisms by which wheat tolerates alkali stress. Results The harmful effect of alkali stress on the growth and photosynthesis of wheat were stronger than those of salt stress. High-pH of alkali stress induced the most of phosphate and metal ions to precipitate; as a result, the availability of nutrients significantly declined. Under alkali stress, Ca sharply increased in roots, however, it decreased under salt stress. In addition, we detected the 75 metabolites that were different among the treatments according to GC-MS analysis, including organic acids, amino acids, sugars/polyols and others. The metabolic data showed salt stress and alkali stress caused different metabolic shifts; alkali stress has a stronger injurious effect on the distribution and accumulation of metabolites than salt stress. These outcomes correspond to specific detrimental effects of a highly pH environment. Conclusions Ca had a significant positive correlation with alkali tolerates, and increasing Ca concentration can immediately trigger SOS Na exclusion system and reduce the Na injury. Salt stress caused metabolic shifts toward gluconeogenesis with increased sugars to avoid osmotic stress; energy in roots and active synthesis in leaves were needed by wheat to develop salt tolerance. Alkali stress (at high pH) significantly inhibited photosynthetic rate; thus, sugar production was reduced, N metabolism was limited, amino acid production was reduced, and glycolysis was inhibited.

Although alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is widely recognized as one of the major concrete durability issues, the mesoscale response of pre-existing ASR products to moisture exposure remains poorly understood. In this study, neutron tomography combined with image registration is employed to non-destructively quantify moisture-induced local deformation in concrete specimens already affected by ASR damage. Three concrete mixes with different aggregate reactivities were imaged before and after 72 hours of water exposure. The resulting volumetric strain fields show that the largest localized expansions are concentrated within the crack network of the cement paste, where amorphous ASR products are expected to be prevalent. In contrast, cracks within aggregates, which typically contain crystalline ASR phases, exhibit substantially lower expansion. These observations provide direct experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that amorphous ASR products possess a greater swelling potential than crystalline counterparts.

The pH of the soil in relation to the availability of plant nutrients has been an important research topic in soil fertility and plant nutrition. In the 1930 and 1940 s, a diagram was proposed that showed how the availability of major and minor nutrients was affected by the pH. This conceptual diagram, developed by Emil Truog based on earlier work, included 11 nutrients. The width of the band at any pH value indicated the relative availability of the plant nutrient. The band did not present the actual amount, as that was affected by other factors such as the type of crop, soil and fertilization. For the 11 nutrients on the diagram, a pH of around 6.5 was considered most favorable. The diagram has been often published in text books and soil extension material and continues to be reproduced. This paper reviews how the diagram was developed, and what its limitations are. In recent decades, research in soil fertility and plant nutrition has focused on the biological transformations of plant nutrients in the soil and it has been recognized that the soil pH influences solubility, concentration in soil solution, ionic form, and adsorption and mobility of most plant nutrients. Nutrients interact and different plants respond differently to a change in pH. The soil pH cannot be used to predict or estimate plant nutrient availability, and the diagram should not be used as it suffers from numerous exceptions and barely represents any rules.

High-alkalinity water is a serious health hazard for fish and can cause oxidative stress and metabolic dysregulation in fish livers. However, the molecular mechanism of liver damage caused by high alkalinity in fish is unclear. In this study, 180 carp were randomly divided into a control (C) group and a high-alkalinity (A25) group and were cultured for 56 days. High-alkalinity-induced liver injury was analysed using histopathological, whole-transcriptome, and metabolomic analyses. Many autophagic bodies and abundant mitochondrial membrane damage were observed in the A25 group. High alkalinity decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in liver tissues, causing oxidative stress in the liver. Transcriptome analysis revealed 61 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and 4008 differentially expressed mRNAs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), forkhead box O (FoxO), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the autophagy signalling pathway were the molecular mechanisms involved. High alkalinity causes oxidative stress and autophagy and results in autophagic damage in the liver. Bioinformatic predictions indicated that Unc-51 Like Kinase 2 (ULK2) was a potential target gene for miR-140-5p, demonstrating that high alkalinity triggered autophagy through the miR-140-5p-ULK2 axis. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the concentrations of cortisol 21-sulfate and beta-aminopropionitrile were significantly increased, while those of creatine and uracil were significantly decreased. The effects of high alkalinity on oxidative stress and autophagy injury in the liver were analysed using whole-transcriptome miRNA-mRNA networks and metabolomics approaches. Our study provides new insights into liver injury caused by highly alkaline water.

Investigating slow earthquake activity in subduction zones provides insight into the slip behavior of megathrusts, which can provide important clues about the rupture extent of future great earthquakes. Using the S-net ocean-bottom seismograph network along the Japan Trench, we mapped a detailed distribution of tectonic tremors, which coincided with very-low-frequency earthquakes and a slow slip event. Compiling these and other related observations, including repeating earthquakes and earthquake swarms, we found that the slow earthquake distribution is complementary to the Tohoku-Oki earthquake rupture. We used our observations to divide the megathrust in the Japan Trench into three along-strike segments characterized by different slip behaviors. We found that the rupture of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake, which nucleated in the central segment, was terminated by the two adjacent segments.